“It just makes me a harder fighter, a tougher fighter in the
discipline and the training aspects of things. People always [say],
‘You should have the mental edge, man. You should be a killer.
You’ve been in combat. You should just be a killing machine.’ Which
I don’t think is true. It’s kind of a different feeling, being in a
combat environment. The chemicals that go through your brain, the
fight-or-flight mentality, it’s completely different than when I’m
walking in the cage. It’s like I know I’m competing in a
competition. I look at it as a football player lacing up his shoes,
getting ready to go out there and play. I kind of look at it as a
different state. I don’t think it really helps me in that aspect,
but it definitely helps me in my training and my toughness, if that
makes sense. I know I’m not going to die. I know I’m not going to
go into the cage and I know I’m not going to die. It’s a different
feeling that your body goes through.”